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George Sewell [1723–5], The works of Shakespear in six [seven] volumes. Collated and Corrected by the former Editions, By Mr. Pope ([Vol. 7] Printed by J. Darby, for A. Bettesworth [and] F. Fayram [etc.], London) [word count] [S11101].
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SCENE III. Enter Prince Henry.

Ch. Just.
Heav'n save your Majesty.

P. Henry.
This new and gorgeous garment, Majesty,
Sits not so easie on me as you think.
Brothers, you mix your sadness with some fear:
This is the English, not the Turkish court,
Not Amurath an Amurath succeeds,
But Harry, Harry. Yet be sad, good brothers,
For to speak truth, it very well becomes you:
Sorrow so royally in you appears,
That I will deeply put the fashion on;
And wear it in my heart. Why then be sad,

-- 379 --


But entertain no more of it, good brothers,
Than a joint-burthen laid upon us all.
For me, by heav'n, I bid you be assur'd
I'll be your father and your brother too:
Let me but bear your love, I'll bear your cares:
Yet weep that Harry's dead, and so will I.
But Harry lives that shall convert those tears
By number into hours of happiness.

Lan. &c.
We hope no other from your Majesty.

P. Henry.
You all look strangely on me; and you most.
You are, I think, assur'd I love you not.
[To the Ch. Just.

Ch. Just.
I am assur'd, if I be measur'd rightly,
Your Majesty hath no just cause to hate me.

P. Henry.
No! might a Prince of my great hopes forget
So great indignities you laid upon me?
What! rate, rebuke, and roughly send to prison
Th' immediate heir of England! was this easie?
May this be wash'd in Lethe, and forgotten?

Ch. Just.
I then did use the person of your father;
The image of his pow'r lay then in me:
And in th' administration of his law,
While I was busie for the common-wealth,
Your highness pleased to forget my place,
The majesty and pow'r of law and justice,
The image of the King whom I presented;
And struck me in my very seat of judgment:
Whereon as an offender to your father
I gave bold way to my authority,
And did commit you. If the deed were ill,
Be you contented, wearing now the garland,
To have a son set your decrees at naught?
To pluck down justice from your awful bench?
To trip the course of law, and blunt the sword

-- 380 --


That guards the peace and safety of your person?
Nay more, to spurn at your most royal image,
And mock your workings in a second body?
Question your royal thoughts, make the case yours;
Be now the father, and propose a son;
Hear your own dignity so much prophan'd;
See your most dreadful laws so loosely slighted;
Behold your self so by a son disdain'd:
And then imagine me taking your part,
And in your pow'r soft silencing your son.
After this cold consid'rance, sentence me;
And as you are a King, speak in your state,
What I have done that misbecame my place,
My person, or my Liege's soveraignty?

P. Henry.
You are right Justice, and you weigh this well;
Therefore still bear the balance and the sword:
And I do wish your honours may increase,
'Till you do live to see a son of mine
Offend you, and obey you, as I did:
So shall I live to speak my father's words.
Happy am I, that have a man so bold
That dares do justice on my proper son;
And no less happy having such a son,
That would deliver up his greatness so
Into the hand of justice. You committed me;
For which I do commit into your hand
Th' unstained sword that you have us'd to bear,
With this remembrance that you use the same
With the like bold, just, and impartial spirit
As you have done 'gainst me. There is my hand,
You shall be as a father to my youth:
My voice shall sound as you do prompt mine ear;
And I will stoop and humble my intents

-- 381 --


To your well-practis'd wise directions.
And Princes all, believe me I beseech you;
My father is gone c notewail'd into his grave,
(For in his tomb lye my affections)
And with his spirit sadly I survive,
To mock the expectations of the world,
To frustrate prophecies, and to rase out
Rotten opinion, which hath writ me down
After my seeming. Tho' my tide of blood
Hath proudly flow'd in vanity 'till now;
Now doth it turn and ebb back to the sea,
Where it shall mingle with the state of floods,
And flow henceforth in formal majesty.
Now call we our high court of Parliament,
And let us chuse such limbs of noble counsel,
That the great body of our state may go
In equal rank with the best govern'd nation;
That war or peace, or both at once, may be
As things acquainted and familiar to us,
In which you, father, shall have foremost hand. [To Lord Chief Justice.
Our coronation done, we will accite
(As I before remember'd) all our state,
And (Heav'n consigning to my good intents)
No Prince nor Peer shall have just cause to say,
Heav'n shorten Harry's happy life one day. [Exeunt.

-- 382 --

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George Sewell [1723–5], The works of Shakespear in six [seven] volumes. Collated and Corrected by the former Editions, By Mr. Pope ([Vol. 7] Printed by J. Darby, for A. Bettesworth [and] F. Fayram [etc.], London) [word count] [S11101].
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